


Caring

by puppybusby



Series: Snapshots [5]
Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Found Family, Groping, Sickfic, Valentine's Day, as a treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29511306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puppybusby/pseuds/puppybusby
Summary: "Time is an illusion! Days blur when we're in the middle of nowhere!" Ava slipped off of the counter.Ava was starting to freak out. Mary finally let herself laugh."Oh my God it's Valentines day in…" Ava checked her phone again. "Three days? What the fuck!"
Relationships: Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva
Series: Snapshots [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2090595
Comments: 17
Kudos: 188





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Belated Valentines day!
> 
> This was always going to be a little filler (and i actually mean it this time, this isn't gonna turn into a 30k thing lmao)  
> Same for the sick fic part, it's just ironic that i'm writing it while sick myself - projecting? I don't know her

Ava knew something was wrong the moment she walked into their room after her morning run. 

As soon as she walked into the room, Ava was greeted by the sight of Beatrice sat up in bed, coughing her lungs up. 

To say that panic consumed Ava pretty much instantly was quite the understatement. 

Beatrice blinked blearily at her as Ava kicked off her shoes and scrambled onto the bed. 

She looked nothing short of miserable, skin pale, beads of sweat clung to her forehead and when Ava took Beatrice's face in her hands, it was hot to the touch. 

"Bea, what's wrong?" 

Beatrice shivered and leaned into Ava's touch. 

"I'm sick." Beatrice replied quietly. 

Judging by the slight wince, talking was painful. 

Oh God. 

This was her fault. 

All of the late night walks, their training in the rain… 

Of course Beatrice would get sick. 

"I'll go get Mary. We'll get you to a doctor… Hospital? Hospital sounds good." Ava was already trying to turn to get off of the bed. "Should I call an ambulance?" 

"Ava," Beatrice grabbed Ava's wrist and held steady, tugging her back onto the bed, despite how scratchy her voice was Beatrice still managed to sound amused. "We don't need an ambulance, it's a cold -" 

She turned her head away and covered her mouth to muffle another cough. 

"A bad one, yes. But it'll pass." 

Ava hesitated. She'd never dealt with this before and to make it worse, it was her fault that Beatrice was in this position. 

"What can I do to help?" Ava asked. "Literally anything, just tell me what you need me to do." 

Beatrice closed her eyes and shifted closer into Ava's space. 

"You're so warm." 

"Consider me your personal heater." Ava got her arms around Beatrice and rearranged them so that they were lying down. 

She curled herself around Beatrice. 

"Get some rest, please, Bea." 

\--

Mary's phone vibrated aggressively on the dinner table and despite Lilith's best attempts at glaring it into silence, the thing just wouldn't quit. 

There was no reason for her phone to be getting so many messages. None of them had friends outside of their little unit. 

Lilith heard the door close. 

"Your phone is having a meltdown." 

"What do you…" Mary picked up the device. "Oh, that's a lot of texts." 

"Who are they from?" 

"Ava." Mary read silently for a few moments. "Bea is sick and she's freaking out." 

In all the years she had known Beatrice, Lilith could only think of a couple of instances where she had gotten sick. 

And each time they had happened, Beatrice had locked herself in her room and refused to come out. 

It had gotten to the point where they'd taken to leaving supplies outside her bedroom door. 

Whether it was to protect them from getting sick or out of a stubborn refusal to accept help, Lilith wasn't too certain. 

But she'd put her money on the latter. 

The fact that Ava was still upstairs however, made Lilith fairly certain that this time things would be different. 

"And despite the many WebMD links Ava has also sent me, it does just sound like a cold." 

"Do we have anything that can help?" Lilith asked. 

"We definitely have orange juice and I'm sure Cam will have some kind of tea. Can you go check the medicine supplies? I'll have to go out and get some stuff if we're running short."

"I'll put together a list." Lilith said. "We need to be prepared for the possibility that you and Camila can get sick too." 

That was the last thing Lilith needed. 

\--

Beatrice stirred but refused to open her eyes. 

Everything _ ached.  _

She felt the cold right down into her bones despite being draped in blankets and the burning warmth she could feel against her cheek. 

Ava. 

Her fingers curled into Ava's hoodie and she felt arms tighten around her in response. 

"Hey, are you awake?" Ava asked, her voice pitched so quietly just in case. 

Beatrice nodded against Ava's chest. 

She hated this so much. 

She felt so weak. 

"Can you sit up? Mary brought water and some tablets that'll help." 

Moving was the last thing on Beatrice's mind, but she knew that she had to, that this wasn't going to get better unless she tried. 

It took an embarrassing amount of effort to sit up and Ava didn't say anything as she rose up with her and reached for the glass on the table. 

Beatrice accepted it along with tablets that had been brought up for her. 

"Mary is going to get some more stuff for you." Ava continued. "They weren't sure how you were feeling about food but…" 

She trailed off and gestured to the nightstand where a plate of fruit sat, an assortment of grapes, oranges, banana and slices of apple. 

Beatrice finished her glass of water and managed a faint smile as Ava took it from her. 

"I'm not really hungry." Beatrice said quietly, the water hadn't done much to ease the pain in her throat. "But I'll try some?" 

Ava moved the plate onto the bed and began to pick at one of the oranges. 

"You don't have to stay, you know." Beatrice said. 

While Ava had gotten better at containing all of her energy, staying still was something that she was still working on. 

"I know." Ava nodded. "But I want to stay, as long as you want me here?" 

She picked off an orange segment and held it out to Beatrice. 

For as long as Beatrice could remember, every time she had been sick as a child, she'd been alone. 

Her parents had always been too busy with work and so the duty of care had fallen to their maid. 

She had been a lovely woman, but with a whole house to maintain, Beatrice had felt more like an afterthought. 

Beatrice had quickly learned to take care of herself.

And by the time she joined the OCS, Beatrice would refuse the help she was offered. 

She'd isolate herself. It was easier to be alone. 

This was new. 

And Beatrice didn't want to be alone anymore. 

Beatrice took the slice of orange. 

"I want you to stay." 

Ava tried to be subtle in the way she lit up at Beatrice's admission, though it didn't really work. 

"I'll give you space when you need it." Ava replied. "Stretch my legs, get us both real food, if you can handle it. And when you're up for it, we can have the laptop and watch movies. But only if it doesn't make your head hurt worse." 

Ava had clearly been thinking about this a lot. 

She watched Ava throw a grape into her mouth and hold another up to Beatrice's lips. 

Beatrice couldn't help but smile as she leaned forward and let Ava pop it into her mouth. 

"Are you going to keep feeding me fruit?" Beatrice asked. 

Ava hummed as she reached behind her to adjust the pillows so that she could sit comfortably against the headboard. 

"As long as you want it." 

Ava continued to adjust her position until Beatrice realised what she was doing. She was creating a space for Beatrice to lie comfortably against her. 

"I'll be your human pillow who feeds you fruit." Ava declared. 

It was too easy for Beatrice to turn around, to lie back against Ava's chest and melt into the warmth. To let Ava pull the covers back over her and wrap one arm around Beatrice's stomach to keep her steady.

Ava rested her chin on Beatrice's head as she continued to pick fruit from the plate and feed it to Beatrice. 

This was love. 

\--

Camila balanced the tray carefully in one hand and knocked gently at the door. 

Lilith had originally offered to bring Ava and Beatrice's food upstairs but given past experiences, Camila had insisted. 

Plus, Lilith was in the process of disinfecting every surface Beatrice may have touched in the last forty eight hours. 

She really wasn't prepared to be reduced to taking care of them all if Mary and Camila got sick too. 

("I mean it Camila, go in drop the food off and leave. You are not getting sick.") 

It was cute how much she cared, even if she'd rather die than admit it. 

After several moments of silence, Camila took the chance and opened the door. 

It wasn't a surprise to find them both asleep. 

Ava was sat upright against the headboard, Beatrice was resting against her, head against Ava's chest. 

The blankets were drawn up over their legs, Ava's arms were wrapped around Beatrice's stomach and her own head was resting on top of Beatrice's. 

Oh. They were so cute. 

Camila moved quietly through the room and set down the tray, it was only some sandwiches and two glasses of water, but they felt like safe options considering they didn't know if Beatrice was eating yet. 

If she couldn't handle the sandwiches, Camila knew Ava would take care of them. 

After a moment of consideration, Camila pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture before gathering the empty glasses on the nightstand and leaving the room. 

\--

As Mary walked into the kitchen, she was surprised to find Ava sat on the counter watching as Camila stirred soup on the stove. 

"I was wondering if you'd be showing your face today." Mary said. 

"Soup is supposed to make people feel better and Bea is up to trying so…" Ava shrugged. 

"It's also a good introduction on how to use the stove." Camila added. 

When they both looked over saw Mary frowning, Ava was the first to supply an answer. 

"I nearly blew up the kitchen." 

Of course she did. 

"How is she feeling?" Mary asked instead. 

"Really sleepy? Lethargic? I think that was the word Bea used.." Ava scratched the side of her head and frowned. "Her head still hurts a lot but it isn't as bad as it was this morning." 

"Oh I hope she gets better soon…" Camila said. "It'll be a shame if she was sick for your first Valentines day together." 

The way Ava's head snapped to the side to stare at Camila had Mary biting on her tongue. 

Oh no. 

"What?" 

Ava almost fell off of the counter as she tried to pull her phone from her pocket, unlocking it. 

The realisation was slow to dawn on Ava's face, but it only proved to make it harder for Mary not to laugh. 

"Oh fuck." 

"You didn't realise?" Camila gasped. 

"Time is an illusion! Days blur when we're in the middle of nowhere!" Ava slipped off of the counter. 

Ava was starting to freak out. Mary finally let herself laugh. 

"Oh my God it's Valentines day in…" Ava checked her phone again. "Three days? What the fuck!" 

Somewhere in the house, they all heard a quiet, "Language!" from Lilith. 

"Oh shit, what do I do?" Ava continued, quieter as to not alert Lilith. 

"Kid, as funny as this is, please calm down." Mary laughed. 

"With Bea being sick and everything I'm sure she won't mind." Camila added in a much more reassuring tone. "She probably hasn't planned anything either." 

"It doesn't matter if she hasn't planned anything… It's a day of love and showing love right? Bea should get to have that." 

"You say that as if you don't show each other how sickeningly in love you both are every day." Mary said. "Actually, have you actually said the L word yet?" 

Now Ava looked a little bit like a deer caught in headlights in the moment before she dropped her gaze to the floor. 

"No, not yet." 

Oh shit. 

"Seriously?" 

Camila seemed equally surprised too. "What? Why not?" 

"I…" Ava looked to them both, focusing on Camila as she poured the soup into a bowl. 

Mary rolled her eyes. Ava was going to run away the second she could. 

"It just hasn't felt like the right time?" Ava offered weakly. 

She was being vague. 

Sometimes Mary actually wondered what was going on in Ava's head. 

"What better time than Valentines day?" Mary asked. 

"No." Ava said quietly, turning to pick up the soup. "It would feel forced. Like it's expected of us to say it just because of the day. We aren't like that, if one of us is going to say it, it's because it feels right."

Ava picked up the bowl and let Camila slip a spoon into it. She turned back to Mary, suddenly serious. 

"I know how I feel and I'm pretty sure I know how Bea feels. We show each other every day so there's been no pressure to say it." 

Mary had to smile.

Ava wasn't even saying to them that she loved Beatrice. 

Mary suspected it was because she wanted to make sure Beatrice was the first to hear the words leave her lips. 

"So I'm gonna go feed my girlfriend, have a minor panic about Valentines day and forget this little thing happened." Ava announced. 

Mary grabbed Ava's arm before she could leave the kitchen. 

"Use a tray, if you spill soup Lilith will kill you. And also…" Mary paused to hold up a small bag of medication. "You need to take these with you. Read the instructions carefully."

"Right. Thanks Mary." 

\--

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Beatrice asked. 

It had only been a day since she had gotten sick but the constant supply of cold and flu medication and Ava's constant presence at her side had left Beatrice already feeling slightly on the mend. 

It didn't hurt to talk as much, at least. 

Ava cracked open an eye to peer at Beatrice and smiled. "Yeah?" 

"If you want to?" Beatrice asked as she sat up. "I imagine you must be getting a little bored now." 

She reached down to brush her fingers against Ava's lips as she smiled. 

"There's nothing boring about getting to hang out in bed with you." Ava replied. 

"Even without the kissing?" 

"Even without the kissing." Ava laughed. 

She rolled onto her side to grab the laptop from the floor, sitting up to boot it up. Beatrice shifted to sit up too, moving closer to rest her head on Ava's shoulder. 

"What do you want to watch?" Ava asked. 

"Honestly it's your choice, I might end up falling asleep again." 

It was getting easier to stay awake for longer, but from the brief moments she'd seen the others they'd all insisted that she just let herself sleep whenever it was needed. 

Beatrice knew it was working and if she kept up with it she'd be on her feet in a couple of days at most, but it was still hard to shake the frustration of not being able to do anything. 

She missed going on her nightly walks with Ava more than anything. 

"Have you ever seen The Devil Wears Prada?" Ava asked. 

"I haven't." 

"Oh my God, okay, has to be that. It's an easy watch and it's all good if you fall asleep because I'll fully watch it again." 

Ava's excitement made her laugh. 

"Do you love it more than The Holiday?" 

Ava looked genuinely conflicted at the question. "Please don't make me choose between them." 

Beatrice laughed again. "I won't." 

Ava glanced at the bed. "How do you want to do this? Will you be comfortable like this or…" 

"Could we lie down?" 

"Yeah, of course." 

Ava reached over to set the laptop beside Beatrice, Beatrice moved her head off of Ava's shoulder and watched as Ava flopped back down against the bed. 

She rolled onto her side and held her arms out in invitation. 

"Come on then." 

Beatrice was still smiling as she lay down and shuffled backwards into Ava, when one of Ava's arms circled her chest, Beatrice reached up to cover it with her hands. 

"Can you see okay?" Beatrice asked. 

"I know it word for word Bea, but yeah I can." Ava replied. 

She reached over to press play and brought her arm back to join their embrace. 

"This is going to change your life Bea. Honestly, Meryl at her finest." Ava whispered. 

She leaned forward to brush her lips against Beatrice's neck, it was enough to have Beatrice's eyes fluttering shut and leaning further back into Ava's body. 

\--

Beatrice didn't fall asleep until the credits began to roll. 

Ava was more entertained by the sleepy commentary that Beatrice provided. 

("Her friends and boyfriend are terrible. Andrea should have ended up with Miranda or Emily.") 

And if Ava wasn't already certain she was in love with Beatrice, that would have settled it. 

Ava brushed her fingers along Beatrice's neck and heard the quiet exhale of breath from her girlfriend. 

She carefully pulled one arm free from Beatrice's grip and reached behind her to grab her phone from the nightstand. 

There was a text waiting and Ava hurried to unlock her phone to read it. 

_ Camila  
_ _ Breakfast is more of a cute option, if you're going for romance then dinner is the way to go. I've got some options due whichever you wanna do (: _

_ Ava  
_ _ Dinner it is then, I promise not to set fire to anything.  _

Ava locked her phone and slipped it under the pillow before pulling her hood over her head and settled against Beatrice once more. 

She'd already figured out the gift, so long as Beatrice was feeling okay then Ava was going to make sure her girlfriend had a good Valentines day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not exactly taking requests for new things at the moment, purely bc i'm backed up (hi i keep getting distracted by new AU ideas) BUT i'm always down for ideas for what kinda things y'all wanna see from this series so hmu
> 
> [Tumblr](https://yashastrongarms.tumblr.com/)  
> Also i'm on [twitter](https://twitter.com/RogueThirteen94)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peep the new tags my friends

Ava was woken by a steady weight rolling onto her. 

She opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Beatrice, who was smiling softly down at her as she adjusted her weight to bracket Ava's body. 

"Hi, you seem better." 

"Hi, I am better." 

Beatrice leaned down to kiss Ava, smiling into the kiss. 

Ava sent a quiet prayer of thanks to whatever was out there. 

Just in time. 

"Technically you don't have an excuse to not go on your run now." Beatrice whispered, shifting to kiss Ava's jaw. 

Getting woken up and immediately receiving blinding kisses? Amazing. Revolutionary. Life changing. 

"I like the way you say technically." Ava mumbled, reaching up to cradle the back of Beatrice's neck. "Sounds like I'm corrupting you." 

Beatrice laughed softly. "All I'm saying is… They don't know that I'm better yet." 

Ava gasped dramatically and sat up, Beatrice moved back to settle on her thighs. 

"I am corrupting you! You're encouraging me skipping responsibilities." She took Beatrice's face in her hands. "This is amazing." 

Beatrice laughed again and leaned in for another quick kiss. 

"I've missed kissing you." Beatrice admitted. "I just want to keep you to myself for a little bit." 

When it came to Beatrice admitting her wants? Ava was always going to indulge. 

Ava closed her eyes and smiled. "I'm all yours." 

"Besides…" Beatrice continued in a slightly quieter voice. "I checked the date." 

"Yeah?" 

Beatrice pulled back as Ava opened her eyes, her expression was still soft as she regarded Ava. 

"Happy Valentine's day, Ava." 

Ava took Beatrice's hand and pressed a kiss to Beatrice's palm. 

"Happy Valentine's day." 

\--

Ava still looked half asleep as she rested her face in Beatrice's hand. 

It would be just their luck that they'd be in the middle of nowhere and she'd end up sick right before their first Valentine's together. 

"I'm sorry we can't really celebrate it." Beatrice said. 

Ava drew back, confused. "What do you mean?" 

"Like in the movies, big grand public gestures and things like that." 

"Is that what you want?" Ava asked. 

Beatrice considered it for a moment before she shook her head. 

"Not particularly." Beatrice replied. "Maybe in the future? But at the moment… Big public situations…" 

"Yeah, I get it." Ava linked their fingers together. "I don't need any of that, I like what we have and that it's our thing. We don't need one day a year to be this, you know?" 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah." Ava grinned. "Besides, now I know you're better… I actually kinda have something planned. If you're up to it?" 

At this point, Beatrice shouldn't be surprised by Ava. 

And yet she was. 

She always was. 

"You do?" 

Ava hummed and dropped Beatrice's hand, pausing to roll the sleeves off her sweater up before leaning off of the edge of the bed. 

She hadn't worn Beatrice's sweater for a couple of weeks and it had brought a surprising amount of comfort to Beatrice when she had seen Ava climb into bed wearing it last night. 

The hoodie Ava had been in constantly was extremely comfortable to snuggle into, but this was better. 

"Okay." Ava sat up once more and dropped a poorly wrapped package between them both. "I made Lilith check every room for wrapping paper, I'm still not good at it so… My bad." 

Beatrice pulled the gift into her lap, it was soft. "Ava…" 

"I planned this before I realised that it was valentines day coming up." Ava explained. "So it's just a bit of a coincidence." 

As Beatrice tore through the paper and she saw the soft burgundy material, her fingers stilled. 

The hoodie? 

Beatrice lifted it from the paper and yes, it was definitely the hoodie Ava had been wearing. 

The extremely baggy hoodie that she had asked Mary to get her after their conversation about sharing clothes. 

Ah. 

She looked up and met Ava's gaze, judging from her smile, it was safe to assume Ava knew Beatrice had figured it out. 

"Now you have something of mine." Ava shrugged. 

Beatrice brought the hoodie close to her chest and tipped her head forward enough to press her face into the material. 

It smelt like Ava. 

"Thank you." Beatrice replied. "I didn't get you anything." 

Ava leaned forward, placing her hands on Beatrice's knees to kiss her soundly. "You don't have to. Having you in my life is gift enough." 

"That was really cheesy, but really sweet." Beatrice said. "You're cute." 

"Yeah well, you're beautiful. So we're even." 

"Dork." 

"Yep." Ava grinned. "Do you want to go get breakfast?" 

"Will you let me cook?" Beatrice asked. "I don't have the same skills as the others but I can handle some eggs and toast." 

"That sounds good." 

\--

When Lilith made her way downstairs, she was surprised to smell food cooking. 

It was more surprising to find Ava and Beatrice sat at the dinner table, Ava's legs stretched over Beatrice's lap as they ate. 

Was it bad of Lilith that she'd almost wished Beatrice could have stayed sick for one more day so that she could have avoided being roped into any shenanigans? Perhaps. 

Was she ever going to admit this? 

Not unless she wanted to die by Camila's hand. 

Ava was the first to notice her. "Morning!" 

"Good morning." Lilith glanced at Beatrice as she pulled her hood down. "You seem better." 

"Yes, thank you." Beatrice said. "I made extra eggs for you and the others, if you're interested. Ava made coffee." 

Ava was surprisingly good at making coffee. 

"It's just me, I'm afraid." 

Both girls raised their eyebrows and shared a look. 

"Where are Cam and Mary?" Ava asked. 

"Errands." 

Stupid Valentines day. 

Lilith grabbed a mug to pour herself some coffee. "I expect you to be ready to get back on schedule tomorrow Ava." 

Ava threw a hand up in a lazy salute. "You got it." 

\--

As Camila dropped a box of chocolate covered strawberries into the basket, she felt Mary raise an eyebrow in her direction. 

"This is a lot of stuff for two people." 

"Because it's not for two people." Camila said. "I know I live vicariously through Bea and Ava, but there's no reason it has to just be about them." 

"So what, galentines day?" 

Camila laughed. "Yeah, I guess so." 

If Bea was well then her and Ava had a rough plan of how the night would go, but that meant the rest of them would essentially be left to their rooms. 

Camila figured she may as well make it fun for them all. 

Mary's phone rang suddenly. 

"It's probably just Ava or Lilith." She said as she pulled it out. She frowned at the screen before answering it. "Hello?" 

They moved through the aisles together as her frown deepened. 

Mary met Camila's gaze. "Mother Superion…" 

Oh no. 

\--

"Do I get to know what you're planning?" Beatrice asked between kisses. 

"Nope, gotta have some element of surprise." Ava replied. 

To be making out on the sofa like this almost felt risky, even to Ava, despite knowing that it was only Lilith who could walk by and see them. 

Though she had gone outside, Ava was pretty sure she was intentionally giving them a wide berth today. 

Not that Ava was complaining. Getting to have Beatrice under her on the sofa? Nice. 

"Do I at least get a time frame?" 

Beatrice shifted her attention to Ava's neck. 

Oh that was cheating. 

"Bea…" Ava whined. 

She felt Beatrice smile. 

"What?" Beatrice asked innocently. 

"This is cheating." 

Beatrice bit down gently on Ava's neck, only smiling more when Ava let out a little whimper. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

Ava closed her eyes when Beatrice brushed her tongue along the spot. 

Lord help her. 

Beatrice was teasing her. 

She felt Beatrice's hand slide into her hair as she kissed up to Ava's ear. 

"I just want to know what you're planning." Beatrice said quietly. 

"Oh fuck." 

"Language." 

Ava pulled back and was met with a very satisfied smile on Beatrice's face. 

"You're killing me." Ava said seriously. "Really, truly killing me." 

Beatrice simply continued to smile. 

Ava sighed and shifted to drop her head to Beatrice's chest. "My plan isn't until tonight. Happy?" 

Beatrice gave Ava a pat on the back of her head. "Yes. Thank you." 

Ava groaned. "You're the worst." 

"And you'd be terrible in an interrogation." 

Ava lifted her head once more. "One, what kind of interrogator would do _that_ to get me to talk? Two, pretty sure only you have this kind of power over me." 

Beatrice grinned. She actually grinned. 

Ava wanted to kiss that smile. 

"Yeah yeah, congratulations you blow my mind." Ava sighed. 

"So I can do whatever I want until then?" Beatrice asked. 

As far as Ava was concerned, Beatrice could do literally anything to her. 

She matched Beatrice's grin. 

"Show me what you've got." 

\--

Lilith sighed and reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. 

"They're certain?" She asked. 

"Superion wouldn't have called if it weren't for good reason." Mary pointed out. 

As soon as Mary and Camila had returned, they'd been quick to pull Lilith into Mary's room before Ava or Beatrice had noticed to deliver their news. 

Possessions were up and spreading rapidly. 

Their sisters were scattered across Europe trying to keep on top of it. 

"They need our help." Camila said. "Without Ava to see the wraiths they're running around blind." 

"Adriel is trying to call us out." Mary said. "The second we go back we'll be heading into the endgame." 

Lilith knew that this was only ever going to be temporary, but even she had felt that when it came to the time for them to return, it would be on their terms. 

They didn't seem to have that luxury now. 

"When do we leave?" Lilith asked. 

"I need time to figure out travel arrangements, with the van we're better off driving down to Dover and getting a ferry across. We'll figure the rest out from there." 

"What do we tell Bea and Ava?" 

Mary sighed. "Nothing, for now. Let them have Valentines day. We'll tell them tomorrow." 

"Is that wise?" Lilith asked.

"We can't leave now even if we wanted to." Mary said. "All telling them would do is ruin their day." 

"I hate that you're probably right." Lilith sighed. 

"So we'll tell them tomorrow?" Camila asked. 

"Yeah. Sounds good?" Mary replied. 

"It'll have to be good." Lilith said. "Happy Valentines day." 

Mary snorted. "Yeah. Happy Valentines day." 

\--

As far as Beatrice was concerned, she had some very specific thoughts on how to make tonight a bit more special for Ava. 

She didn't care if it was Valentine's or not. 

But it was a big step, that was certain. 

And as much she enjoyed their sofa make out session, tormenting Ava into giving her the information she wanted and the subsequent thrill she felt at the possibility of Lilith walking in on them…

The ideas she was having were definitely not ideas that she would want their friends walking in on. 

Beatrice still wasn't sure if she was ready to take another step herself. 

But she wanted to. 

Oh, she really wanted to. 

She was banished from going downstairs until Ava called her, and Beatrice honestly felt a little lost. 

Beatrice got up from the bed and tucked her hands into the sleeves of Ava's hoodie before slipping from her room and making her way down the hall. 

She knocked softly on the door and waited as she heard movement on the other side. 

Mary pulled the door open, gaze still fixed on her phone. When she looked up and saw Beatrice, she hastily locked it. 

"Hey Bea. What's up?" 

"Have you got a minute?" 

"I… Yeah, course." She stepped aside so that Beatrice could enter. "What's up?" 

Mary closed the door and moved to drop down on the bed, setting her phone aside and looking curiously up at Beatrice. 

"It's a little… Private." 

There was a subtle shift in Mary's expression, a quiet sigh that Beatrice almost missed. 

"Shoot." 

"You and Shannon…" 

She could tell that Mary knew where she was going with this. 

"Yeah?" 

"Were you guys ever…" Beatrice gestured vaguely. "Physical?" 

"Not very often but yeah. Why? Are you planning on -" 

"No." Beatrice cut Mary off quickly. "No, no. Not… Not yet." 

Oh this was a bad idea. Mary looked like her soul was leaving her body, Beatrice wanted to sink into the ground. 

She couldn't exactly run away though. 

"I still have my vows." Beatrice continued quietly. "And until I… Until I figure out where I stand in that regard I wouldn't do… That." 

Mary's lips quirked with the faintest trace of amusement. 

"I just… I don't know where the boundaries are. What is… Too far?" 

Mary let out a long sigh and gave the bed a pat. "Okay. Sit. This is going to be awkward and we're both going to hate it. But we're in this now." 

Beatrice hurried to sit beside her and focused her gaze on the wall in front of her. 

"Thank you, Mary."

"Yeah. Yeah." 

\--

"Okay so you want to check the spaghetti now." Camila said. 

Ava nodded and moved to follow Camila's instructions. 

The kitchen was full of the aroma of garlic and onions cooking and Ava was full of pride at herself for managing to do most of this herself. 

Camila had helped her cut everything up and Lilith had taken up the role of observer. 

Apparently she trusted Camila implicitly. 

But Camila and Ava together? Not so much. 

They were never going to live down the crossbow incident. 

"Keep checking the pan, Ava. You don't want to burn the onions." Lilith said. 

"Right. Yep." 

Camila filled a bucket with ice and set a bottle into it. 

"What -"

"It's alcohol free. Don't worry." Camila said. 

"Oh cool. Thank you." 

"Taste check." Lilith called. 

Camila swept in close with her tiny spoon and scooped up a small amount of carbonara to taste. 

"It's good." She grinned. "Good job Ava." 

Ava tried to resist the urge to do a little happy dance. 

"This is the hard part though okay?" Camila said.

"Would you really call it hard?" Lilith asked. 

Camila rolled her eyes as she reached around Ava to switch the hob off. 

"It's just about making sure you don't scramble the egg." Camila explained. "Then you can dish up and enjoy." 

Lilith got up from her seat and began to light the candles she had placed there. 

"There's cheesecake in the fridge for dessert and then a little basket by the back door for afterwards." Lilith explained casually. 

Ava was glad that Camila was by her side now to make sure she didn't fuck up the food. 

It gave her the chance to turn to stare at Lilith. 

"Basket?" 

Ava's plan had only extended to cooking this dinner, the dessert had already been a surprise. 

"Consider it a gift from us." Lilith said. "Well, Camila." 

Camila gave a thumbs up.

"That's… Kind of you." Ava said slowly. 

"You're welcome.". 

"What's going on?" Ava asked. 

Lilith raised an eyebrow and turned away to adjust the candles. 

"You wanted to do something romantic, yes? This is us making it happen." Lilith dismissed. 

"Right. Okay. Thank you." 

There was still something going on, Ava was pretty sure of it. 

None of that mattered in the moment though. 

Because she was about to give Beatrice a romantic ass dinner. 

"So we're going to head upstairs." Camila said. "You finish plating it all up then go and get Bea, okay?" 

Ava nodded. "Okay." 

"And have fun." 

"I will." 

As Camila and Lilith gathered their things and left the room, Ava busied herself with plating up the food and checking the bottle Camila had left them with. 

She'd already popped the cork for them. 

They really had made the whole night Ava proof. 

Ava observed her work and launched herself through the living room and up the stairs. 

She threw the bedroom door open and frowned at the empty room. 

"Bea?" 

"Ava, over here." Mary's voice called from behind her. 

Ava looked down the hall and saw Mary standing in the doorway of her own room. 

She closed the door to her room and made her way down the hallway, Mary moved forward to meet her halfway.

"You owe me a beer." Mary said quietly. 

Ava frowned. "What -" 

Mary held up a hand. "Don't ask questions. Just say okay and thank you." 

"Okay." Ava nodded. "And thank you." 

"Good. Bea?" 

Beatrice walked out of Mary's room. There was a lingering pink tint to her ears that had Ava wondering what the hell kind of conversation they'd been having. 

But it was easy enough to ignore in favour of having Beatrice walking towards her, dressed in her hoodie. 

Ava understood why Beatrice liked to see Ava in her sweater now. 

"Hi." Beatrice greeted. 

"Hey." Ava grinned. She held her hand out for Beatrice. "You ready?" 

Beatrice took it without hesitation. 

"Definitely." 

\--

Ava was practically shaking with excitement as she guided Beatrice through the house. 

Beatrice could smell the cooking they moved through the living room and as they reached the kitchen she found herself pausing. 

Candles decorated the dinner table, two plates of carbonara sat waiting for them. 

"You did all this yourself?" Beatrice asked. 

"Most of it." Ava replied. "Lilith did the candles and Camila helped cut up everything and finish it off. I promise it's edible." 

Beatrice turned to Ava and kissed her before Ava could say anything else. 

"This is really thoughtful. Thank you Ava." 

Ava was slow to open her eyes and grinned dopely at Beatrice. 

"I would one hundred percent be ready to throw it all aside in favour of more of that." 

"Patience, Ava." Beatrice took a step back. "There's plenty of time for that later." 

"Oh. That sounds a bit like a promise." 

Beatrice smiled and dropped her voice to a whisper. "It is." 

Her conversation with Mary had been enlightening and now Beatrice had a clear plan of what she wanted to do tonight. 

Baby steps. 

"Now come on, Ava. Before your efforts get cold." 

Ava scrambled towards the table, going so far as to pull the chair out for Beatrice to sit down first before dropping into her own. 

"There's also dessert in the fridge and apparently another surprise for us by the door?" Ava explained. 

They both began to dig in to their meal. 

"You don't sound certain about the surprise part." Beatrice said. "This is really good Ava." 

Beatrice was greeted of fleeting thoughts of the two of them together, Ava practicing recipes in a tiny apartment just for them. 

That was a future Beatrice wanted. 

"No halo bearers were harmed in the making of this food." Ava laughed. "And I don't sound certain because I didn't plan that part." 

It was safe to assume that if the others had planned it and left it by the door, then it was no doubt for them to go down to the Loch with. 

"Well, we'll have a look in a bit then." Beatrice said. 

She reached over to brush her fingers against the back of Ava's hand. 

If Ava dropped her fork, then Beatrice definitely didn't comment on it. 

  
  


When the meal was done and over and Ava had inhaled half of the admittedly amazing cheesecake Beatrice's curiosity over their surprise got the better of her. 

"Shall we see what they've given us?" Beatrice asked. 

Ava nodded as she polished off the rest of her drink and dove off towards the back door. 

She returned a few moments later with a small picnic basket and flicked on the lights. 

Beatrice got up and moved to Ava's side to inspect the contents. 

"Oh shit, chocolate strawberries!" 

Beatrice smiled indulgently at Ava as she continued to pull out tiny snacks and a large thermos. 

"Are they trying to feed us to death?" Ava asked. "I don't mind but it's like… Second on my list in ways I'd like to die." 

Beatrice unscrewed the thermos and took a sniff. Hot chocolate, lovely. 

"Second?" Beatrice raised an eyebrow. "What's number one?" 

Ava's cheeks turned red as she packed everything back up. "So I feel like this was planned for a little outdoors date?" 

As curious as Beatrice was, she let Ava switch the topic and hummed an agreement. 

"We haven't had our walk for the last couple of days." 

"You've only just gotten better though." Ava frowned. "What if you get sick again?" 

"How about if I promise to wrap up?" Beatrice asked. 

"Hat, scarf, gloves and jacket?" 

"Just for you. Yes." 

Ava nodded, apparently satisfied enough with Beatrice's answer. "Okay, yeah. But if you so much as shiver I'm bringing you back inside." 

"That's fine by me." Beatrice replied. She gave Ava's cheek a quick kiss. "I'll be back in a few minutes, okay? Make sure to put the candles out." 

\--

"Well. As far as being banished to being upstairs is concerned, I'm glad I get to spend it with you two weirdos." Mary declared. 

They were holed up in her room and Camila had put on quite the spread for them to enjoy. 

She'd also stolen the laptop back and was currently playing music in the background. 

Lilith was focused on shuffling the deck of cards. "I don't see the point in this day and what it has become commercially, but I will let them have their night." 

"It's about sharing love." Camila said seriously. "All kinds of love. Bea and Ava are in a relationship but that doesn't mean they're the only ones who should get to celebrate it. The love between us is just as important to celebrate." 

Mary glanced at Lilith and the way she was still shuffling cards as though her life depended on it. 

More important was the slightest shade of pink Mary could see on Lilith's cheeks. 

Oh God.

Not these two idiots too. 

"I'm not sure how much love there will be by the end of the night. I'm very good at poker." Lilith said. 

Ah. There's the Lilith she knew. 

\--

It was kind of hilarious to see Beatrice wrapped up in so many layers. Dressed up in Ava's beanie and scarf, her jacket zipped up tight over her hoodie. 

Ava loved it. 

She loved that they were in their spot again. 

By the Loch and under the stars. 

The picnic basket of treats only made the whole thing that little bit sweeter. 

"I've missed this." Beatrice said. 

Her fingers were curled around her hot chocolate and Ava watched as she took a sip of it. 

"Yeah?" 

"Yes. I'm happy to be around you in any capacity, you know that. But this place…" Beatrice shook her head. "No, I don't think it's the place. Not entirely." 

"Bea?" 

"I think you have the capacity to make any moment special. No matter where we are, it feels like we've been there our entire lives." 

Beatrice set her drink aside in favour of turning to face Ava. 

"This spot is beautiful, but it's made all the more beautiful by you being here with me. The same could be said about the cottage and I know that wherever we end up will be the same." 

Holy shit? 

Beatrice implying a future for them?

Considering how much Ava knew the future made Beatrice uncertain, this felt heavy in so many ways. 

Ava set her drink aside and Beatrice took her hands. 

"I still have a lot of thoughts, and when I'm ready, I'll share them with you, okay?" 

Ava nodded. "Okay."

She didn't know where this was coming from, but she didn't care. How could she when Beatrice was looking at her like this? 

Beatrice raised her hand to brush her fingers against Ava's bottom lip and let out a quiet sigh. 

Ava didn't dare to breathe. 

"Just know that this is the happiest I've ever been." 

"I'll bring you all of the happiness." Ava said seriously. "All of it is for you." 

Beatrice replaced her fingers with her lips without hesitation. 

"As long as I can share it with you, Ava." 

"Yes." Ava mumbled. "Yes." 

Beatrice kept the kiss sweet and gentle for a few moments before drawing back. 

"I brought something with me." 

"Oh?" 

She reached into her pocket and pulled out Ava's camera. She took Ava's wrist and placed it in her hand. 

"You always forget to bring it. Tonight seemed like the right time." 

Ava looked from Beatrice to the camera and then out towards the stars reflecting amongst the water. 

There was only one thing that Ava wanted to take a picture of right now. 

She brought the camera up and gave Beatrice enough time to blink the surprise away before she hit the button, the bright flash illuminating them both briefly. 

"It really is impossible to get used to that." Beatrice complained quietly as she blinked rapidly. 

"Sorry."

Ava pulled the photo free and placed it safely inside the basket. She then set the camera aside and pulled out her phone instead. 

"This won't blind you." Ava said softly. 

"All of this but you're choosing to take pictures of me?" Beatrice asked, gesturing briefly to the scenery aroind them, though she still pulled the beanie off and loosened her scarf. 

Even while mildly protesting, Beatrice was still going to indulge Ava. 

"Not even a question. If it weren't for the fact I get to see you every day I wouldn't stop taking pictures of you." 

Beatrice reached out to grab Ava's jacket and pulled her closer. "Keep talking like that and we're going to have a photo war on who can take the best pictures of the other." 

Ava grinned as she fell into Beatrice. "Well that just sounds like fun." 

\--

"See, I told you they wouldn't be down here." Camila said proudly as they stepped into the living room. 

Playing cards had admittedly not been their smartest idea so it felt best to stop before one of them resorted to physical violence. 

"At least now I can go and smoke." Mary said as she drifted through into the kitchen. 

Lilith dropped onto the sofa and Camila made sure to sit beside her as she turned the TV on. 

"What do we do when they come back?" Lilith asked. 

They heard the fridge open. 

"Honestly I'd put money on them not even noticing us." Mary called. 

"I'll take that action." Lilith said. 

Camila rolled her eyes. "What do you want to watch?" 

"I have no preference." 

"Come on Lil. You've indulged all of us. It's time we do something for you." Camila urged. "Anything you want, it could be the worst film ever but as long as you want to watch it, we'll watch it." 

Camila was certain that Lilith had no idea how much she really gave to them all. 

If she had to make sure Lilith had something for herself, then she'd do it. 

"I…" Lilith hesitated when she saw Camila's determined expression. "Yes, fine. Is Ten Things I hate about you on there?" 

Oh, a rom com. 

Awesome. 

"It most certainly is." 

\--

"I'm running out of film." Ava said as she squinted down at the back of her camera. "One shot left." 

"I'll buy you more as soon as I can." 

"I've got another box upstairs." 

"Still." Beatrice looped her arm through Ava's and led her down towards the water. "We'll make this one count, okay?" 

Despite Ava's protests, Beatrice had removed the scarf, beanie and gloves as they'd continued to take photos. 

Between every photo and kiss they shared, Beatrice watched Ava get increasingly flustered. 

It was adorable. 

Beatrice was very much looking forward to making sure Ava stayed flustered. 

"Count how?" Ava asked as they came to a stop. 

"Well…" Beatrice turned them so that they were face to face. "Angle the camera at us." 

Ava turned the camera in her hand and stretched her arm out, glancing to make sure they were in the shot. 

"Good." Beatrice smiled. 

She took Ava's face in her hands and leaned in close until their lips were almost touching. 

"You, me and the stars." Beatrice whispered. 

As she kissed Ava, Beatrice felt her breath catch, her free hand tangled into Beatrice's jacket to pull her closer. 

When Ava tried to deepen the kiss, Beatrice pulled back slightly, smiling at Ava's whimper of protest. 

"Ava." 

"Bea…" 

"Take the picture, Ava." 

"Oh. Right." 

Beatrice closed her eyes and kissed her again, a moment later she saw the flash behind her eyelids. 

Even while kissing, Beatrice could feel Ava's movements as she pulled the photo free and shoved the camera into her pocket. 

"Bea. Please." 

Beatrice smiled and brushed her fingers down to hold Ava's chin. 

"Do you want to go back?" Beatrice asked. "We can go to bed?" 

She grinned as she felt Ava shiver. 

"Yes please."

\--

Lilith hadn't seen this film for years. 

She'd forgotten how much she enjoyed it. 

She was glad Camila had insisted they watch out. 

Lilith glanced at the girl in question. Camila's gaze was fixed firmly on the TV. 

How could someone radiate so much happiness? 

It was… Nice. 

Each of them looked up when they heard the back door close and subsequent moving around in the kitchen. 

Camila hit pause faster than Lilith could blink and with her free hand, grabbed Lilith's wrist and tugged them both down so they were at least a little obscured by the back of the sofa. 

It didn't stop Lilith from twisting so they she had a clear enough view of the path from the kitchen to the stairs. 

Mary didn't move, she merely sipped on her beer and waited. 

The pair stumbled out of the kitchen, all hushed giggles as Beatrice walked backwards, tugging Ava along with her. 

"Ava, ssh." Beatrice whispered, leaning in to kiss her. 

"I don't really do quiet." Ava pointed out. 

Beatrice seemed _almost_ trip over her own feet as she stopped to stare at Ava. 

Ava grinned as she took another kiss. "You good Bea?" 

Beatrice moved to set her hands on Ava's waist, manoeuvring her in front of her and towards the stairs.

"Bed, Ava." 

She was gentle but insistent as she urged Ava up the stairs. 

They listened to the footsteps fade and the close of the door upstairs. 

Camila sat up slowly as Lilith followed suit. 

Mary still hadn't moved as she drank, though she did point a finger at Lilith. 

"I win. You owe me." 

"Ugh. Fine." Lilith sighed. "I expected Beatrice to at least have some situational awareness." 

Mary grinned in a way that felt as though she knew something they didn't. 

Camila merely laughed and hit play on the movie once more. 

Her hand was still on Lilith's wrist. 

Lilith found that she really didn't mind. 

\--

The time it took for them to change into their sleep wear felt slow. 

Brushing her teeth had never felt like more of a chore than in this moment. 

But as Ava stepped back into the room and found Beatrice standing by the bed waiting for her, Ava knew that the extra minutes of patience had been worth it. 

Beatrice was still wearing her hoodie. 

"Hey." 

Beatrice smiled. "Hi." 

"My brain can't really think of anything romantic to say right now." Ava said as she made her way closer to Beatrice. "So is it okay if I just kiss you instead?" 

"I'm yours to kiss." 

The distance between them closed pretty rapidly then. 

Ava's hands were on Beatrice's hips and tugging her in for a kiss, her body moving on pure instinct.

"Never worry about having to say anything romantic Ava." Beatrice said between kisses as she moved them closer to the bed. "Your actions? The way you look at me? It says everything." 

Ava would never stop being stunned by Beatrice's ability to understand her, to put to rest worries before they've even had the chance to fully form in her mind. 

She let Beatrice ease them both onto the bed, shifting so that they were lying on their sides as they continued to kiss at a languid pace. 

Beatrice paused to bite down softly on Ava's bottom lip. 

She was just about ready to combust as she let Beatrice take the lead, control the flow of the kisses, letting her tongue slide into Ava's mouth. 

Ava clung to the edges of the hoodie, forcing them to stay still. 

Even as the kisses heated up, Beatrice was still so gentle as one hand skimmed across her throat, lingering for a moment before cradling her jaw and bringing her other hand other up to join it. 

"Ava?" Beatrice whispered. 

"Hm?" 

"Can I try something?" 

Ava opened her eyes as Beatrice leaned in for another kiss, her hands trailing down Ava's neck to her shoulders. 

It was incredible how even touching her neck now had Ava shivering. 

She didn't have much time to let her thoughts drift as she felt Beatrice's hands press down and Ava could only let Beatrice ease her onto her back and watch as Beatrice moved over, rolling to lie on top of her. 

"Oh, hi." Ava said. 

Beatrice smiled down at her. "Hi." 

She leaned in to kiss Ava again, biting on Ava's lip. 

"Okay?" 

"Holy shit. Yeah. Okay." 

Beatrice smiled and drew back, pulling the hair tie from her bun and letting her hair fall across her shoulders. 

Oh. 

Oh fuck. 

Beatrice sat up fully and Ava was already committing the sight of Beatrice straddling her while she was lying down like this to memory. 

Whatever Beatrice was about to do to her, Ava wasn't certain she was going to survive it. 

Beatrice reached up to take hold of the zip of the hoodie and kept her eyes locked on Ava's as she drew it down slowly, exposing the black t-shirt underneath. 

Oh fuck. 

Oh shit.

What was she doing? 

She looked nervous. 

In a brief moment of panic, Ava was sitting up to get level with Beatrice. 

Ava placed a hand on Beatrice's shoulder before she could take the hoodie off. 

"Hey wait, you're not doing… Whatever you're doing just because it's Valentine's right?" 

"No, not exactly. This is more me wanting to give part of myself to you." Beatrice leaned forward to kiss Ava. 

Ava let herself melt into it. Let her hand drift down Beatrice's arm. 

"It's just… You look nervous." 

Beatrice brushed her fingers along Ava's jaw. "I am nervous. It's a good nervous though. I promise." 

Ava trusted Beatrice implicitly. 

She nodded. 

"Thank you, for checking in though." Beatrice continued. "Do you want me to tell you what I'm going to do?" 

Ava's stomach was doing entire somersaults and that was purely from anticipation. 

"No. I trust you." 

Beatrice smiled again and gently placed her hand back on Ava's throat, applying just enough pressure so that Ava would lie down once more. 

Now that Beatrice knew Ava had a weak spot when it came to her neck, Ava was certain that Beatrice would never fail to use it to her advantage. 

Beatrice took her time sliding the hoodie from her shoulders, she never broke eye contact even as her own nervousness caused her ears to turn pink. 

She dropped the hoodie to the floor and for a moment they could only stare at each other. 

Ava could see the goosebumps raise on Beatrice's arm and reached out to skim her fingers down both arms until she reached Beatrice's wrists. 

"You're so beautiful." Ava said. 

Beatrice leaned back down to lie across Ava, easing her hands free from Ava's hold to brush her hair from her face and kiss her again. 

"As are you." 

Ava closed her eyes and set one hand on Beatrice's waist, curling the other around her shoulders to keep Beatrice close. 

Beatrice was going in for the kill, bringing her tongue back into play. 

It was so much to take in. Beatrice lying on top her and kissing her like there would be no tomorrow. 

Ava wanted to melt into the bed. 

She was vaguely aware of one of Beatrice's hands moving, of it covering the hand Ava had on her waist. 

Beatrice broke the kiss and drew back slightly. 

"Bea?" Ava opened her eyes. Had she overstepped? "I'm so-" 

"Ssh." Beatrice interrupted. "It's okay. Trust me?" 

Ava nodded. 

This felt heavy. The intensity of Beatrice's gaze had Ava barely daring to breathe. To move. To just lie there as Beatrice tightened her hold on Ava's hand and slowly moved it along her body. 

Beneath the material of Beatrice's shirt, Ava could feel her fingers brush against each rib. 

Felt Beatrice draw in a deep breath as their hands moved upwards. 

Oh. 

_Oh._

Oh good God. 

Beatrice stopped when Ava's hand reached her breast and waited for a moment as if to gauge Ava's reaction. 

Ava tried to make her brain work. 

Really, she did. 

There were so many thoughts racing through her mind. 

How significant this was. How much it meant to her that Beatrice was trusting her to do this. 

But there was definitely some wires short circuiting because instead of voicing any of those thoughts, all that came out of Ava's lips was:

"Oh. Soft." 

Beatrice's eyes sparkled with amusement. 

"Shit. I mean -" 

Beatrice interrupted her with a gentle kiss. 

"Breathe, Ava." 

Ava genuinely wasn't sure that she could. 

She dropped her hand from Beatrice's shoulder to the bed and tangled her fingers into the sheets. 

"Are you okay?" Beatrice asked. 

"Just… Just waiting for my brain to reboot." 

Beatrice gave Ava's hand a soft squeeze and removed her hand to lean back in to kiss Ava. 

"Just take your time." 

If everything had felt like too much before, now Ava was in complete free fall. 

She'd always made sure to keep her hands respectfully to herself or in safe places. 

Waist, shoulders, back, face. 

And now Beatrice had taken _this_ step. 

Ava moved her hand tentatively and watched as Beatrice's eyes fluttered shut. Felt the gentle shiver through her body. 

"How does it feel?" Ava asked quietly. 

"Good." Beatrice whispered. "It feels… It feels good." 

As Ava's brain began to finally catch up to her, Ava belatedly realised that Beatrice definitely wasn't wearing a bra. 

And, much more pressing than that realisation, was the fact that as Ava moved her hand again, she could feel Beatrice's nipple harden underneath her thumb. 

Fuck. 

Jesus fuck. 

Brain has left the building once more. 

Beatrice's eyes closed again, head dropping for a moment as she let out a quiet sigh. 

Ava could feel the halo heating up beneath her. 

They'd spent so much time practising control. 

None of those lessons could have ever prepared Ava for this. 

Breathe. 

Control. 

Everything was fine. 

For the love of God don't phase because of a boob. 

Beatrice's boob. Yes. But still. 

Ava willed herself to stay in the moment. To just… Grab the sheets. An anchor. 

Everything was fine. 

Ava tightened her hold and could only watch as Beatrice screwed her eyes shut and dropped get head against Ava's shoulder, a quiet moan vibrating against her skin. 

Oh shit. 

Oh no. 

Wires crossed. Wrong hand. 

"Bea? Shit, I'm sorry. My brain is just… Chaos and-" 

"Don't." Beatrice cut her off, lifting her head and… Oh. 

The hunger behind them was new. 

"Don't stop." Beatrice continued. 

Ava knew the halo was lighting up, knew the moment Beatrice realised. 

"Ava?" 

"I'm good. Oh my God, I'm good." 

She brushed her thumb over Beatrice's nipple again just to hear her make that sound again. 

"You're so beautiful. You… You sound so beautiful." 

Beatrice kissed her again. 

Ava was going to combust. 

"Bea?"  
  


"Ava?"  
  
"Can I hear you again?"

\--

With the movie over and not much else left to do, Mary, Camila and Lilith made their way upstairs together and fell into formation as they walked down the hallway to their respective rooms. 

Mary adjusted her grip on the bottle of champagne under her arm. Not that alcohol free crap that Camila had gotten for their resident lovebirds. 

Only the good shit for her, thank you very much. 

Camila was practically skipping. Happiness radiated from her entire body as she grinned at them both. 

"See? Told you we'd be fine and -" 

Camila's words were drowned out by a sudden moan on the other side of the door. 

Each of them froze in place. 

The thing is. 

They'd all heard Ava moan before, namely from whenever she was in pain. 

That was definitely _not_ Ava. 

Huh. Her talk with Beatrice had definitely gotten the intended results then. 

Mary shook her head and grabbed Camila and Lilith's arms and tugged them past Ava and Beatrice's room. 

"No. Nope. We heard nothing, we know nothing." 

She was happy for them but… No. 

"Just keep walking." Lilith agreed. 

Camila had turned a bright shade of red and nodded her own agreement. 

Mary stopped outside their room. 

"It's been good tonight, so thanks. Both of you." 

Lilith nodded. "Likewise."

"Back to it tomorrow." Mary said. 

"We'll worry about that when it's time." Lilith replied. "Enjoy the rest of your night." 

With a parting nod, Camila and Lilith disappeared into their room. 

Mary continued alone down the hall to her own room and closed the door behind her. 

She sat on the bed and set the two glasses down, pulling the cork from the champagne and filled both glasses.

Mary sat the bottle aside and took one of the glasses and gave it a gentle tap against the other. 

"Happy Valentine's day, Shan." She said to the empty room. "I love you." 

She drank and sat back against the headboard. 

\--

"I almost don't want tonight to end." Camila sighed. 

She dug out her pyjamas and glanced across the room to Lilith, surprised to find her already looking back. 

"We still have a few hours." Lilith replied. She hesitated for a few moments, squeezing her hands together as she looked at Camila. "What's your favourite movie?" 

"In general?" 

"Or Valentine's specific." 

"Oh, if we're talking romance, then… Four weddings and a funeral?" 

"Is it on Netflix?" 

"Yeah." 

Lilith nodded towards Camila's tablet. "Let's watch it then. If you'd like." 

Camila's heart skipped a beat. "You're not tired?" 

Lilith smiled. It was her rare, soft smile that Camila knew she was lucky to get to see more often these days. 

"No." 

Camila grinned. "I'd like that." 

\--

"Bea. " Ava gasped, pulling back from Beatrice's searing kisses. 

Beatrice stopped immediately, leaning back. "Are you okay?" 

Beatrice sounded as breathless as Ava did. 

Ava wondered if the heat was pooling in her stomach too. 

If Beatrice was as turned on as she was right now. 

The look in Beatrice's eyes told her that yes, yes she definitely was. 

But she had to put the brakes on this.

"I uh… Need to stop." Ava said, reluctantly removing her hand from Beatrice's breast. "This is amazing but… Too amazing, if you know what I mean?" 

Beatrice closed her eyes for a beat and took a steadying breath, leaning back in to press a slow and gentle kiss to Ava's lips as she moved off of her and back onto the bed. 

For a few moments they lay side by side in silence, staring at the ceiling as they regained control of their breathing. 

"I know what you mean." Beatrice said eventually. "That was…" 

"Amazing." 

Beatrice smiled. "It was." 

"Thank you though, Bea." Ava rolled onto her side as Beatrice did the same. "For trusting me with that. For letting me do that."

"Thank you." Beatrice said earnestly. "It was… It was a lot, but I'm glad. I'm glad I get to take these steps with you." 

They moved in for another kiss. Their paces much more relaxed and languid now. 

"And you know… Whenever you're ready, and whatever you're ready for… It's yours to take." Ava said. 

Beatrice's eyes lit up in recognition of Ava's words, but it was the amused smirk on her lips that she was more drawn to. 

"Is this your way of inviting me to touch your boobs?" Beatrice asked. 

Ava laughed. "Yeah, I guess it is." 

Beatrice joined her in her laughter. "Noted." 

"What do you want to do now?" Ava asked. 

"Cuddle?" 

"Sounds perfect. You wanna be big spoon or little spoon?" 

"I just want to hold you." 

Ava was already shuffling closer to tuck her head under Beatrice's chin. "Big spoon then." 

Beatrice kissed the top of her head. "You're a dork." 

"Yep." 

Beatrice's arms wrapped around her. 

"Happy Valentine's day, Ava." 

Ava kissed the space between Beatrice's collarbones. "Happy Valentine's day, Bea." 

God. 

What a perfect day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I'm gonna put a brief hiatus on Snapshots for a few weeks, just so I can catch up with Tides and stuff, but this will return SOON i promise
> 
> in the mean time, you can find me [here](https://yashastrongarms.tumblr.com/)  
> Also i'm on [twitter!](https://twitter.com/RogueThirteen94)


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